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Friends, turn to a neighbor and say Happy Easter! Happy Easter! Turn to another neighbor and say Alleluia! Alleluia! Now turn to a neighbor and say this word on our Easter banner! Say Anastasis! Anastasis. It’s the Greek word for…
An Ecclesiastical Council (EC) is the final step in the process leading to ordination in the United Church of Christ. The EC for First Church’s former Pastoral Associate Jaz Buchanan is taking place on Tuesday, April 9, at 7:00 p.m.,…
Fifty years ago, on Sunday, April 7, 1974, at 3:00 p.m., First Church Music Director Peter Sykes gave his first harpsichord recital. (He was a sophomore in high school.) To commemorate the occasion, Peter will present a virtual harpsichord recital…
I had a remarkable dinner conversation last weekend with a friend who is a writer and scholar. He’s recently been studying and spending time in alternative, intentional communities all around the world, learning with and from people who are make…
As we continue to find courage in community, walk with us through Holy Week to hear the gospel stories of what Jesus encounters and endures in his final days. During Holy Week, we come face to face with the human…
The 40 days of Lent begin on Ash Wednesday, February 14, and culminate in Holy Week observance leading up to Easter Sunday, March 31. Here at First Church, our theme for this Lent is Finding Courage in Community. With so…
Are you interested in leading a small group over Zoom or in person this Spring? Contact Beth Spaulding (bspaulding68@gmail.com) to discuss your idea for the last round of Faith & Life Groups in this program year. Led by First Church…
Come, one and all, to the Annual Meeting of First Church in Cambridge following Morning Worship on Sunday, January 28. A hearty luncheon will lead into our meeting, where we will celebrate another full year of ministry. We will thank…
As 2023 comes to its end this month, Minister of Stewardship & Finance Karen McArthur provides important year-end financial details to consider. In order to qualify as a 2023 contribution for your tax records, your gift must be dated in…
Kick off the holidays with joy and gladness while supporting the work of the Friday CafĂ©! This festive event will feature artists like the Revels’ David Coffin, world-class Irish musicians Shannon & Matt Heaton, the New England Conservatory Klezmer Band,…
Beloved, I want and need to be gentle today. For you, for me, for the wider community and world. In addition to the prayer I just prayed aloud, I prayed one that I almost always pray silently before I preach.…
Join us as we joyfully welcome Rev. Liz Walker as guest preacher for our morning worship service at 11:00 a.m. on Sunday, September 24. Rev. Walker is the recently retired pastor of Roxbury Presbyterian Church, an ordained minister in the…
2023 SNEUCC Justice Summit: Trans and Nonbinary Belonging in the Church Saturday, October 7, 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Old South Church in Boston The Southern New England UCC’s annual Justice Summit in 2023 will center on trans and nonbinary…
All-Church Fall Retreat at Craigville Retreat Center Friday, September 29 – Sunday, October 1 Register now to join us on the Cape at Craigville Retreat Center for a weekend of community-building in fellowship, formation, and fun. All ages are invited…
When I graduated from divinity school, one of my older professors began his baccalaureate speech to our class by describing to us a maritime practice, and according to him, a precision art called semaphore. He spoke of how when he…
Our text from 1st Kings this morning begins with a dream. Historically, I’ve had a particular fascination with the function of dreams in the ancient world and how they have given people windows into a relationship with the divine. In…
Dear Friends, After five years of ministry, the time has come to say our final farewells to our beloved Transitional Minister Lexi Boudreaux. As we move towards staffing transitions with Lexi’s imminent departure, we invite you to a series of important events…
It´s a real joy to be back at First Church! Thank you so much for the warm welcome. Today, parts of our readings are really provocative.  In the first, from Genesis, Hagar is cast out to the wilderness by Abraham…
May the words of my mouth and the meditations of all of our hearts be pleasing to you Oh God, our rock and our redeemer. Amen. During lockdown, I got into the daily practice of making iced lattes almost every…
Let me start by saying: Yes, Hilary asked for a homily, too! “Please,” she said in a long document that expressed her wishes for today, “a few words on the theme of many mansions, many ways of reverence and worship…
Wade in the water! This is the theme for this beautiful piece of fabric art in progress that hangs behind me and it has emerged, as if from an underground spiritual stream, from stories like Cicely’s (Thank you, Paula for…
Through the months of July and August, Hybrid Morning Worship begins at 10:00 a.m., with Pick-Up Choir meeting at 9:00 a.m. Church School-aged children are invited to remain in the sanctuary for the entire worship service. The Nursery continues to…
It’s time to stand up for housing justice! Our Commonwealth is in the middle of a severe housing crisis. Public housing is in decay, home ownership is harder than ever, and not enough money has been invested to tackle this…
Film Screening and Discussion Wednesday, June 14, 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. Margaret Jewett Hall Come Hell or High Water: The Battle for Turkey Creek follows the painful, but inspiring journey of Derrick Christopher Evans, a Boston teacher who moves home…
 Lexi: Be still and know that I am God. The line from Psalm 46 is well known and well used. We at First Church have used these words when we as a community have needed words of comfort and beauty…
Allow me to set just a bit of context before I share our reading for today. We are about to hear an early part of Jesus’s so-called “Farewell Discourse” in John. It spans chapters 14 through 17 and follows John’s…
It’s time to sign up for the last round of Faith & Life Groups in this program year! Led by First Church members, Faith & Life Groups are designed to encourage meaningful connections through shared interests, whether exploring a spiritual…
Are you interested in leading a small group over Zoom or in person this Spring? Contact Lexi Boudreaux to discuss your idea for the last round of Faith & Life Groups in this program year. Led by First Church members,…
You cannot tell the story of injustice without telling the story of power. It requires integrity to become honest about how our power systems and our position in the world affect our capacity to do justice. Which is to say,…
Oh Boy- What a periscope! I wish we could address it all, but it’s not going to happen this morning. We are taking a deep and winding dive into just 2 of the verses this morning so I thank you…
Plan to walk with us through Holy Week as we gather to hear the gospel stories and face the hard truth of what happened to Jesus. In the days leading up to Easter, we confront our own and humankind’s shadows.…
Words of genuine encouragement rarely need much interpretation and this passage from James is no exception. In this short letter, he asks a few basic questions of his community that takes them and us straight to the heart. The simplicity…
On Saturday, February 11, the Cambridge NAACP awarded Rev. Dan Smith and First Church in Cambridge with the 2023 Drum Major for Justice Award. You can find a recording of the event here. Senator Elizabeth Warren introduced Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley,…
Friends, let me begin by saying we are inundated with lists these days. Internet click bait thrives on them, and who doesn’t get sucked in sometimes. “Five foods to avoid!” “Best places to travel on a shoestring!” “10 reasons why…
On Sunday, January 15, First Church Poet-in-Residence and Deacon, Jean Dany Joachim, convened several of his fellow writer friends to share poems and reflections in response to the prompt: what would Martin Luther King’s words be about the state of…
What does “Discerning our gifts” mean? Discernment—the spiritual practice of deciding on the best way forward in our call to serve God—is something that we do in community as a church. Our Gifts Discernment committee is the group of First…
Have you been thinking about exploring membership at First Church in Cambridge? Do you have a growing sense that First Church is where you belong? Membership at First Church involves joining the church through covenantal promises. In addition to engaging…
As 2022 comes to its end, there are more than a few financial details to share with you: In order to qualify as a 2022 contribution for your tax records, your gift must be dated in 2022 and either received…
On Sunday, December 18, Bishop Brian Greene and the Pentecostal Tabernacle Church will present their 2022 Community Service Awards to recently retired Cambridge City Manager Louis DePasquale and our own Senior Minister Dan Smith. Dan’s award recognizes his “leadership and…
Two weeks ago, just after All Saints Sunday and Pauline Fennel’s memorial service, I welcomed a diverse group of five mostly out-of-town longtime clergy friends for a three-day retreat at the parsonage. It has become an annual ritual for us…
I know what Isaiah is trying to say. That there’s satisfaction in seeing something complete. Joy in witnessing the finished product. In a perfect world, God says, you’ll have closure. Closure is good. Wrapped up. Complete. There’s nothing worse than…
Dear First Church Community, The Missions & Social Justice Committee has had another eventful year of supporting the work of non-profits both near and far. As we approach the Advent season, we want to share with you a list of…
Good morning First Church. Today we will be turning our hearts to God’s healing presence in our lives and world. After we reflect together, we will sing gentle hymns and be invited to come forward, if you wish, to share…
God bless the internet. Not only can it do wonders for procrastination, it can be great for nostalgia too! As I was prepping my sermon yesterday, I went down an elephant-sized rabbit hole on YouTube and watched way too many…
Join us for a fall series of events exploring our shared history as communities of faith in Harvard Square. Landscape of Slavery Tours Sunday, October 9 at 12:30 p.m. OR Sunday, October 30 at 3:00 p.m. The Sunken Garden at…
Every time a person bravely speaks the words out loud for the very first time, “I’m gay or bi or queer, or I am non-binary, or these are my authentic pronouns” I imagine angels throwing a party and dancing in…
The Shelter Oversight Committee hopes you will make time to attend this year’s Doris Beauvais Luncheon on Sunday, October 30, at 12:30 p.m. The event commemorates and recommends the leadership and example of the late Doris Beauvais, a First Church…
What a joy to see everyone back again, gathered and re-gathered, for many of us in 3 dimensions no less! And it feels different this year than in the last two years. Less unsure and afraid, I hope. More settled.…
This Fall, as we bring our focus to how we gather, consider one (or more!) of these options for gathering in wonder, curiosity, relationship, compassion, and care. September 8: Young Adults: Faith on Tap Join the Young Adults at First…
At first glance, especially given the context of today’s service, this appears to be another of Jesus miraculous healing stories. And our first response may well be “if only it were so easy!” No doubt this woman’s trials were severe,…